School to Source Healthier Lunch Options from Backyard Garden

As part of our 26th annual Week of Caring, partners from the Just Energy Foundation and volunteer groups from Brookside High School were able to come together to construct asustainable cafeteria garden and outdoor learning space for the school to use as part of their new initiatives to include home-grown, fresh produce in healthier lunch options offered to students.

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony signifying the opening of the garden was held on Tuesday, September 18, with student volunteers and representatives from the Just Energy Foundation, Sheffield/Sheffield Lake City Schools administration, HandsOn Northeast Ohio and United Way of Greater Lorain County in attendance.

The group of Brookside students spent two September days building benches, ADA accessible garden boxes, a whiteboard, and rain barrels in addition to planting a variety of vegetables. The students will be responsible for maintaining the garden and harvesting the produce in the future.